Cutter for use on towed bodies



U. D. BURNEY.

CUTTER FOR USE ON TOWED BODIES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22;1919.

Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

UNITED STATES CHARLES DI I-NNISTON BURNEY, OF ALRESFORD, ENGLAND.

CUTTER FOR USE ON TOWEI) BODIES.

Original application filed September 18, 1917, Serial No. 192,019. Divided and Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

this application filed July 22, 1919. Serial No. 312,590.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES DENNISTON BURNEY, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Dean Holme, Kilmeston, Alresford, in the county of Hants, England, have invented certain new and useful lin provements in or Relating to Cutters for Use on Towed Bodies, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cutters for use on towed bodies, especially for the purpose of severing the mooring cables of mines, and

has for its chief object to provide a power operated cutter which is brought into action immediately on the mooring cable reaching it. The cutter is actuated by fluid pressure obtained from a reservoir on the towed body and comprises two cutting blades (with knife edges or serrated cutting edges) on jaws between which the cable is adapted to enter, a blade (or both blades) being then operated by the fluid pressure device to cut through the cable.

The towed body may be of the type described in the specification of my application No. 192019 from which the present application is divided and now known under the term paravane. @nly the nose and front part of the body are shown in the annexed drawin which is a section through the part or the paravane carrying the cutter, and through the fluid pressure device o1 the cutter.

1 is the head of the paravane, fitted with a depressing olane 2 shown in section and extending transversely below the head in the known manner. 3 is the body of the paravane. A cylinder 132 of compressed air is carried in the paravane, to operate a spring plunger 133 working in a cylinder 134:

mounted in the head of the paravane. A supporting block 135 is secured to the head of the paravane and carries a liXed cutting blade 186 and a pivoted cutting blade 18? which is operated by an arm 135: connected to one end of the rod 139 of the plunger 183. Ad acent to and projecting beyond the outer end of the cutter jaw is arranged an arm 140 adapted to operate a valve 141. of the air supplying cylinder.

The towing cable (not shown) is connected to the upper portion of the cutter block 135, and on the mine mooring (guided by the towing cable) entering the jaw of the cutter it trips the arm 1420 to open the valve M1 and admit air into the cylinder 134, operating the plunger 133 and forcing the pivoted cutting blade 137 toward the fixed blade 18b, thereby severing the mooring of the mine.

vVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is A towed body, a fixed cutter blade positioned at the nose of said body, and a pivoted cutter blade adapted to coiiperate with the fixed blade; said pivoted cutter blade provided with a rearward extension, a compressec air reservoir in the towed body, a cylinder, a plunger in said cylinder secured to the rearward extension of said pivoted cutter blade, a conlection from the compressed air reservoir to the cylinder, an air admission va ve interposed between the reservoir and the cylinder and a valve operating pivoted lever carried by the nose of the towed body and extending across the gap between the cutter blades for the purpose specified.

CHARLES DENNISTON BURNEY. 

